CHICAGO – The Chicago Police Department’s Civil Rights Unit is investigating “unusually variant” anti-Semitic graffiti sprayed on the side of an elementary school for developmentally disabled children.

“I know there is graffiti in other places, but to do that to a special needs school is beyond sickening,” parent Martin Marozack said.

MORE NEWS: Know These Before Moving From Cyprus To The UK

The vandalism was discovered at Beard Elementary on Sunday morning, when school officials and others in the community called police and worked to scrub and cover the hate messages before summer school continued Monday.

Marozack said his son asked “what it was and I had to lie to him.”

“I couldn’t tell him what it said.”

The graffiti included anti-Semitic symbols, gay slurs and language offensive to the disabled. One image published by DNAinfo.com shows swastikas on a window and wall, as well as the phrases “retardz” and “Heil Hitler.” City alderman John Arena told the Chicago Tribune the Civil Rights Unit was called in to investigate because it was obvious the messages were motivated by hate.

“No doubt. The language here, swastikas, heil Hitler, things like that, that’s definitely a hate crime in my mind,” Arena said. “It’s upsetting and I’m glad there was such a strong respond right away. The community was very level-headed about it.

“I got notification and folks from (Chicago Public Schools) were out here … right away on a Sunday evening. I brought one of my staff out and helped out,” Arena said.

MORE NEWS: How to prepare for face-to-face classes

The Tribune reports a vehicle and garage door in the neighborhood were also vandalized with hate messages and some of the graffiti contained gang symbols.

WGNTV reports investigators are reviewing surveillance cameras and talking with witnesses in an attempt to identify those responsible for the graffiti.

“It’s really disheartening,” Vanessa Ramos, whose autistic son and daughter attend Beard, told NBC Chicago. “It’s heartbreaking. When we see our kids, we see them for what they are. To us they’re perfect and it’s a shame that people see them and they’re labeling them … It just shows no compassion.”

Those who live in the neighborhood were equally troubled by the incident.

“It’s pitiful,” a neighbor told the news site. “To this school, come on. Come on!”

Arena said the graffiti was among the worst he’s seen.

“We’ve never seen – in the time that I’ve been here for 20 years – this kind of hateful, racist symbolism,” he told NBC Chicago.

“Whoever did this is troubled,” Arena said. “The hope is we to this person and offer them help they need.”

Many folks online were equally disgusted by the racist vandalism.

“My alma mater trashed with words of hate,” Ashley M wrote to the ABC 7 site. “This school was where I learned tolerance and acceptance of other people including those different from me regardless of religion or skin color.”

“Shame on them!” Jean Biss posted to Facebook. “We need more programs like at Brookfield Zoo that includes special needs kids!”